Dubai records 90% drop in road fatalities, accidents as RTA and Police review traffic safety milestones

Dubai: Dubai has achieved 90 per cent drop in road fatalities and traffic accidents between 2007 and 2024, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) revealed on Sunday.

In a recent high-level coordination meeting, the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and Dubai Police reviewed significant progress in implementing the Dubai Traffic Safety Strategy 2022—2026.

The session focused on performance indicators for 2024, enforcement achievements, and infrastructure improvements, with officials highlighting a 90% reduction in road fatalities and incidents since 2007.

The meeting was co-chaired by Mattar Al Tayer, Director General and Chairman of the Board of Executive Directors at RTA, and Lieutenant General Abdullah Khalifa Al Marri, Commander-in-Chief of Dubai Police.

Zero fatalities vision

Al Tayer praised the ongoing strategic partnership with Dubai Police, emphasising the success of 53 joint programmes and initiatives in 2024. These efforts, he noted, have been instrumental in achieving the goals of the traffic safety strategy, including a significant drop in fatality rates.

“Our joint work continues to move us closer to the vision of ‘Zero Fatalities,’ aligning with Dubai’s goal of becoming a global benchmark in traffic safety,” said Al Tayer.

Lt. Gen. Al Marri commended the collaboration, highlighting enforcement and awareness campaigns as key contributors to improved road safety. “Over 90% reduction in road fatalities and incidents has been achieved since 2007. Awareness campaigns played a crucial role, engaging all segments of society,” he said.

Performance indicators showed remarkable improvement, including a decline in road fatalities from 21.7 per 100,000 people in 2007 to 1.8 in 2024.

Pedestrian fatalities dropped from 9.5 to 0.3, and the combined rate of fatalities and serious injuries declined from 36.2 to just 4.

The death rate per 10,000 registered vehicles also fell from 4.2 to 0.45, Enforcement efforts were expanded to enhance compliance in areas such as pedestrian crossings, high-risk violations, and the safe use of motorcycles, bicycles, and electric scooters.

Campaigns and compliance

In 2024, eight major awareness campaigns reached more than 255,000 people, and over 24 educational videos highlighting traffic risks were viewed more than 117 million times.

The meeting also reviewed enforcement efforts aimed at improving compliance. Over 145,000 violations were recorded involving delivery motorcycles, while violations involving bicycles and e-scooters totalled nearly 40,000.

Approximately 60,000 pedestrian violations were also registered. Authorities impounded around 24,000 vehicles, nearly 4,000 delivery motorcycles, and more than 54,000 personal mobility devices.

Workshops

Authorities also conducted 85 workshops and field visits targeting delivery riders, reaching more than 15,000 drivers, and launched dedicated awareness campaigns for trucks on major external roads.

Safer streets and smarter mobility

The review included progress on road engineering efforts, including the assessment of 23 high-risk locations, installation of 54 raised pedestrian crossings, and infrastructure upgrades to support soft mobility users.

Personal mobility devices

The two parties also addressed the rise in the use of personal mobility usage. Bicycle trips increased from 44 million in 2023 to 46.6 million in 2024, representing 5% growth, while e-scooter trips rose from 30 million to 32.3 million over the same period, with an increase of 8.7%.

First- and last-mile trips accounted for 1.7% of e-scooter use and 1.4% of bicycle use.

Mobility monitoring unit

To enhance traffic safety on dedicated tracks and ensure adherence to safety standards, both parties agreed to establish a dedicated Personal Mobility Monitoring Unit. The unit will oversee compliance, regulate traffic flow on cycling lanes, and raise public awareness of safe usage protocols. Violators will be subject to the applicable penalties. Personnel will also be deployed to monitor activity across bicycle lanes and key streets connecting soft mobility zones

Policy advancements

During the meeting, RTA presented the Roads and Transport Plan 2030, built on four strategic pillars:

Infrastructure Development: 39 projects to upgrade key roads and corridors, including Latifa bint Hamdan Street, Hessa Street, and the Trade Centre Roundabout.

Transport Policy: Measures like flexible working hours, dynamic toll pricing, expanded truck restrictions, and reforms in school transport.

Public Transport Expansion: Construction of the Dubai Metro Blue Line, feasibility studies for suspended transit systems, and upgrades to bus and marine networks.

Smart Traffic Systems: Phase 2 of the Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) project aims for 100% coverage, enhanced incident management, and better traffic signal efficiency.

Looking Ahead

Both RTA and Dubai Police reaffirmed their commitment to improving traffic safety and mobility standards. Plans are underway to expand inspection campaigns, enhance the licensing of delivery drivers, and upgrade digital systems for better tracking and enforcement.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from both sides, including Major General Abdullah Ali Al Ghaithi, Assistant Commander-in-Chief for Operations at Dubai Police; Major General Saif Muhair Al Mazrouei, Director of the General Department of Traffic; Hussain Al Banna, CEO of RTA’s Traffic and Roads Agency; and other department directors.